Mobile broadcast and multicast systems typically use a fixed radio modulation scheme, known as a modulation and coding scheme (MCS), to provide unified decoding of content from signals received within a cell coverage area. Additionally, a forward error correction (FEC) scheme may be applied to the signal at an application level to provide additional protection against packet loss. The FEC scheme provides data reliability by introducing a known structure into a data sequence prior to transmission.
Enhanced multimedia broadcast and multicast service (eMBMS) is a data and content multicasting technology that is used to distribute identical content to multiple different (and, often independent) user elements (UEs) on cellular networks. In current network technology, the centrally located broadcast and multicast service center (BMSC) typically selects the area of content distribution and the participating base stations in multicast content distribution activities. The BMSC may determine a content distribution area (also known as a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN)) and configure all the base stations (typically enhanced node base stations or eNodeBs) in that area to broadcast particular content at a prescheduled time. The BMSC may multicast particular content at that time and whichever UE chooses to consume the content may access the content via an application running on the UE.